Gem Three
by ShnazzySpazzy
Summary: All Keita's idea- not mine. Anyways, one day the Domination Jewel disapears- not really though. It splits- and three babies are born who will change Tortall. 13 years later, though, something happens that will change all of their lives... *Chap 6* R/R!!!
1. Three

Jonathan, his coal-black hair now peppered with gray and white, woke up to a strange humming. He got up and walked over to the source of it. The mantle. He quickly swayed side to side trying to find out _what_ was making that noise. It wasn't humming, really, it was soon becoming more like an eerie singing of some kind. His eyes widened as he open up the special engraved box that held the Dominion Jewel. He quickly picked it up and walked over to the window to see clearer, He was too focused on the jewel to bother lighting a candle. The voice grew louder, still singing and humming it's eerie aimless tune. It began to rise from his palm and glow brilliantly. As the voice reached a crescendo he noticed it began to sound like… 3 voices? Suddenly a bright light emanated from the jewel and he was blinded from the glare. When he opening his eyes he saw the jewel was…**_gone!_**

Had he not been blinded by the light he would have noticed the jewel quickly flashed 3 separate colors, blue, orange and green before splitting into three and catapulting into the night. The Dominion Jewel as they knew it, was gone. Jon ran off to rouse his wife and tell her. The whole incident was kept hush-hush, lest the information leak into surrounding countries who might want to try their luck against a now powerless king.

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What no-one knew was that at the exact moment that the Jewel split, 3 still-born babies were brought into the world, silent and cold.

A girl, living in a lonely cabin in the far northern reaches of Tortall was born without a wail, she was dead, but before her mother noticed a sliver of _something_ flashed and buried itself in her skin, the wound healing itself immediately, leaving a tiny leaf shaped scar on her chest, almost as if it were a pendant on a chain. The girl's skin began to take a more healthy pallor and she began to wail, protesting against this cold world she had been born into.

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Somewhere along the River Drell in the far east of Tortall another still-born girl was born. This time there was a midwife accompanying the birth, but before she could utter a sound the baby awoke and began to scream. No-one noticed the tiny droplet shaped symbol that suddenly appeared on skin right by her wrist.

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Deep south, in the desert, a Bazhir girl was born, cold as death. The mother fell back onto her pallet, and the women birthing the baby began to weep, and blinded as they were from their tears, not a single one saw the tiny piece of _something_ that buried itself in the baby's ankle, leaving a tiny pebble shaped mark. They were too overcome by joy as the girl began to wail…

For a brief second all of their scars flashed, then faded. The voices could wait. They had to wait, lest they consume the people that bore them. So unbeknownst to anyone, a tiny seed, drop or grain of magic settled itself down for a nice long, comfortable wait. Until it was ready…

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Hello. This chappie was all Keita's- I just changed a few little things. I'm adopting it. Duh. Ah well- You might have seen another version of this up (no, not Keita's first 2 chapters). Anyways, don't worry about it- just a mix-up, Lady Katherine of Heartspeak and I will each be writing a version of Gem Three. Should be interesting. Well, there you are. I'll put the next chappie up soon- again, it'll be Keita's- she wrote just the first 2 chapters. 

See ya'- and don't forget to tell me what you think (review) - Anything!!!!!

~ladyknight


	2. Power

Here's the next chappie. Again, mostly Keita's. I just wrote the Kalea part, and changed a few other things. Now to my wonderful reviewers!!!

Keita- Thanks, and thanks again for the compliment on your bio- about this turning into a kick-ass story… Thanks and I hope I'll live up to your expectations!!!

demented-dreamer

6-a-opal- Well, that is a question that's very hard to answer right now….*ponders* Well, let's just say Keita owned it, then gave it to me and Katherine of Heartspark, since we both wanted it. There. So Katherine and I are both making versions of Gem Three, only she calls hers "A Gem Asunder". There you are. 

Only 3 reviewers??? *sniff* Well, everyone review now and make up for it!! *smiles brightly*

~ladyknight 

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12 years later…

Tallys was walking in her beloved forest taking in the sights and sounds that surrounded her. She always felt some much closer to the trees and plants than she did any people. Even her parents. Sure she liked them and all… they just weren't her trees. She sighed as she plopped herself down at the base of an enormous pine. She really should be going back to do her chores, but she felt so peaceful here. She gazed longingly at the pine tree above her. She wondered what it was thinking? What did it know about the world it had seen so much of? As she leaned back against the dry tree bark she jokingly called out a message to the tree.

What do you know? What can you tell me?

_Much, little sapling…_

Tallys gasped. What was that voice? Why was it… in her head? The tree! Had the lonely pine really spoken to her? Tallys shook her head and went to do her chores. Anything to keep her mind off of what had just happened.

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In the River Drell, normally a river that swept away and killed anything that dared enter it's waters was a second home to Nerina. She had always remembered swimming in it. She could probably swim before she knew how to walk. Her parents always frowned upon that though, because, although they weren't nobles, they were still one of the richer merchant families in the area. She was supposed to be very dignified. And she usually was… unless she came near a body of water. She loved water, the raging rivers, little happy brooks, large serene lakes, or ponds brimming with life. She had seen them all in her parent's travels through the eastern parts of Tortall. How she wished she could see the ocean, just once…

Quickly glancing around to see if anyone was near, she stripped off her clothes and hid them beneath the branches of a willow tree. Then she dove in. Nerina loved the feeling of water rushing past her. Tickling her. She dove to the bottom of the river and strangely enough, her ears didn't pop from the pressure. She had been there full five minutes enjoying the feeling and the way everything looked when she finally realized why everything looked more interesting now. She could SEE underwater. None of the blurry eyes. _I must finally be getting used to water now_, she thought. She stayed down a couple more minutes until she realized something more important. She hadn't breathed for almost 10 minutes

Panicking Nerina quickly kicked her way to the top ready to take the huge gasps of air she thought her lungs would need. Strange how they didn't seem to burn like they always did… She broke the surface of the water and found that, she honestly didn't need to breath. In fact, it felt more comfortable to be underwater not breathing than to be above it, forced to take gulps of air. Nerina dove down again. This time she stayed for a good 20 minutes before hearing some muffled noises on land. Wondering what they were she swam up, just far enough so she could see who it was. It was her mother, running through the trees near the shore with a dangerous looking scowl on her face. 

Quickly swimming up behind the overhanging branches of the willow she climbed out, her body screaming to be put back in the water. She quickly dressed and ran home, avoiding her mother. With nay luck she could be home embroidering some pillow before her mother got back. She could then pretend that she hadn't gone anywhere. 

_Brilliant_ she thought as she ran, her hair drying itself quicker than ever.

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Kalea sat on the cool sand, wiggling her sun-browned toes near the fire she had built. She watched her small fire closely, loving the way the hot flames jumped this way, then that. She sighed. Kalea loved fire, the beauty and grace with which it danced upon it's wood. She loved it much more than her family, especially her mother. Her mother was horrible, not a proper Bazhir woman at all. Of course, the days of veils were over, but her mother was a dancer, a sexy little slut. She had 8 children, including Kalea. None of the children knew there fathers, as about 9 months after a new tribe or company with young men passed through, their mother bore another child. They were all "mixed," the rude Bazhir word for a half Bazhir, half outsider. Kalea did love her siblings, a little, but her mother was out of her range. 

She squeezed her tickling palm into a fist, then considered something. Her palm was tickling?!?! She opened her hand again to muffle a scream with her other hand. Her hand was burning!!! She quickly snuffed it out in the sand, then realized something- it didn't hurt. She was confused, but slowly reached a hand into the fire in front of her. It tickled again, but gave her a pleasant feeling. The fire grew a little by little, and 20 minutes later, Kalea, laughing, was almost engulfed in her fire.  

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Well, there you are. My personal writing will come in the next chapter. For a preview, I wrote all of Kalea's thingy above. Yea!!! Second chappie is UP!!!! Next one should come soon, but (I'm stealing this from my other fic) if more reviews come, then the next chappie will mysteriously come quicker!!!! *readers wonder* (not really). Yeah, so there you are. And REVIEW!!!!!!! 


	3. If Only

I'm back again!! Hah. Not really. Well, yes I'm back, but not hah. Now I've probably got you all confused. Ah well. Here's all the before chappie junk. Then to the fic!! 

Go reviewers!!! Whoo!!! 5 reviews!!

Ice-Otter (cool fic, by the way!!)

6-a opal

Ana- (twice) and yeah- I know about that stuff. This chapter will have more describing and will be longer. 

Person- Err…Did you mean "update" soon??

There you are. And today I remembered to write a disclaimer!!! For the other chapters, refer to this one. 

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Tamora Pierce or anyone else owns. Especially Bill Gates' fortune. Boy, do I wish I could have that….Anyways, all rights reserved for Kalea, Nerina and Tallys.

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Time passed. A year went by as changes happened- both in the girls, and all of Tortall. Things got bad- bandits long withheld by the Queens' Riders grew restless. Neighboring countries were unsettled and ready for war. The land also wanted something- water grew dirty, earthquakes shook the land, and forests grew sparser. The land needed something. A certain something lost 13 years before…..

 "It's the Domination Jewel!!" the young King exclaimed as he slammed his fist into the table. "We need it!!"

"But you know it's gone," said his wife, Shinkokami (A/N: umm, what's her name again??), gently. "That isn't what we need now to stop the rebels."

"We need something we can quickly, easily," said the King's Champion, a young Lady Knight called Protector of the Small. 

"I know," muttered the King, Roald of Conté. "But we must have something to stop these rebels from tearing apart the country!!"

That was the other thing. Rebels- people not happy with the King's endless - but not too helpful – work were ravaging through Tortall. Killing, destroying, and leaving a wake of terror behind them, thinking this would make the King do **something**. 

Meanwhile, the Three were enjoying their power, and trying to ignore the state their falling country was in. 

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Nerina was fully enjoying her new power. Not only could she stay underwater for long periods of time, she could mold herself **into water, and could form water currents to carry her. She spent more and more time in the water as time went on, and her mother grew harsher and harsher more easily. **

She sat in a chair in the kitchen, miserably staring out the window at the beckoning river next to her house. It was early morning, and now she was waiting for her mother to serve her the hot breakfast in the oven across the room. Nerina's long black hair swung in front of her face, as she peered through it at her mother. 

"WHAT ARE YOU SITTING THERE FOR?!?!?! DO SOMETHING!!!! GET ME SOME MORE FIREWOOD!!!!" her mother bellowed at the frightened Nerina. Nerina scurried out the door to the shed. She ran into the woods. "I wish I weren't so shy," she mumbled, kicking a stick away. "Whenever I try, I get shy again."

Suddenly she stopped. Were those hoofbeats?? They were moving awfully fast if they were….Nerina didn't stop to listen to any more- she knew danger when she heard it- and ran to the shed. Slamming the door behind her, she leaned against the wood and listened. Closing her eyes, she heard galloping hoofbeats, rattling past her, just feet away from the shed. They passed her, thankfully. But what about her mother and father? She did love them- and her father was much more loving than her mother. She shrank down beside the wood. "I can't," she murmured. 

Her whole body shook awake as the air filled with a scream. Her mother. Nerina twitched, and her clenched hands hit the sides of the small room. Oops. No. Another scream- her father. Nerina buried her head in her hands. "Please let them be alright…Please…Please…"

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Kalea sat next to the fire, smile on face, her young sister Nissi bouncing in her lap. They both loved Granha- the large Bazhir holiday that honored old ancestors. Feasting and dancing went all day and night, and fun was had by all. 

Over the last year Kalea had learned more about her power- she could now shape and control the flames, among other things. Now, looking quickly around to make sure no one was looking, she made a small lizard out of a piece of the roaring fire and sent it up Nissi's outstretched leg. Nissi giggled madly and swatted playfully at it, looking on wide-eyed as it jumped up to float around her head, then disappeared. Nissi giggled again, and ran off to dance with her older brother, Kori.

Kalea stood up and brushed herself off. Out of the corner of her eyes, a flash of yellow sparkled. She closed her eyes. Not again. She turned and opened her eyes. 

There was her mother. Dancing with her hands over her head, in her skimpiest outfit. Her yellow Gift sparkling around her. Flirting with the young male visitors from the North. 

"Good God," Kalea muttered. 

"Hey," a voice said next to her. Kalea turned quickly to find her brother, Denian. "What's up?"

"I was just going to get more water from the well," Kalea made up. "Dancing makes you thirsty, huh??" She laughed nervously. 

Denian raised an eyebrow. "Whatever."

Kalea smiled weakly and walked over in the direction of the well. She lowered the bucket. When it came up she grabbed the tin cup on the ground and took a deep drink. Swinging it down, Kalea let go too early, and it clattered into the well. "Dammit!!" 

Swearing at herself, Kalea climbed over the side of the well. Levering herself down with the uneven rocks on the side, she slowly made her way into the well.

Kalea reached the bottom of the shallow well. Dropping herself in with a shallow splash, she noticed how low the water in the well was. "Well, that drought's definitely coming…"   

Finding the dipper, she stopped- noises came pouring in from above. Screams. Horses whinnying. Sounds of weapons clashing…A fight!! Kalea's eyes widened, then closed. She'd wait the fight out here, with her tribe's hard warriors they would win easily. 

Kalea crouched down further into the clear water. "Shaman Sildia will crucify me for dirtying the water," she thought ruefully. "I'll just say I had to-" 

She stopped. The sounds stopped. The fighting must be over, Kalea thought. She started to stand up, and was about to yell, "Bloody Hawk!!" the name of her tribe and their war-cry, when she stopped. Those victory cries weren't her tribes… "What?" she whispered. "No, we couldn't have lost….We couldn't have…." 

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Tallys had grown too- in her power and mind. She now fully communicated with the plants (especially trees) in her forest all the time. She could hold regular conversations and control all plant life in her part of the vast northern Tortallian forest. 

Today Tallys was having fun – it was the last day of the week, Sun's Day, the day of the week dedicated to the great Gods and Goddesses. Every Sun's Day, Tallys and her family had a small party in honor of the Gods. They baked lots of food, and danced to her father's marvelous fiddle playing. Tallys danced around and around with her older brother, Fletcher, a lazy boy, unless he was having fun. Fletcher whirled her around, then danced her to the food table. He picked up a small cake and jammed it in his mouth, then went on dancing with Wren, Tallys' only other sibling, an older sister. Tallys laughed and spun around her mum, hands clapping above her head. On God's Day, their family had a special tradition of everyone being a god or goddess- Papa was Mithros, her mother was the Great Mother Goddess, Wren was Shakith the Seer, Fletcher was the Smith God, and Tallys was unwillingly called the Graveyard Hag. 

Just then her father, "Mithros," stopped playing. Wren, Fletcher, Tallys and her mum stopped dancing. "Sabia- Goddess-" he said. "Do you hear…"

Tallys listened. She could hear nothing, but everyone always had told her she had bad hearing. _Tree sisters_, she called out. _What do you hear??_

The trees were frightened. _Danger…Danger…Coming…___

Tallys' ma didn't stop to listen any longer. "Wren, Fletcher, under the bed. Tallys, squeeze into this closet." Her children hurried to do what she said- they had never heard her like this. Her voice was short and harsh, yet she seemed scared of something. They had never seen or heard her scared. "Terek, honey, grab the sling,"

Then she spoke no more. With a crash, Tallys heard the door some off it's hinges. Her mother screamed something inaudible, and her father too. It sounded like "Tortall!!"

With more slams and voices, Tallys got very confused. What was happening?? Where were Mama and Papa?? What happened to Wren and Fletcher??

The last thing Tallys remembered was heat coming into the closet from the blazing fire across the room. It was hot, very hot. That was all she remembered. Then she slipped into a dark bliss.

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Whoo, this is a long chapter for me. I usually write around two and a half pages- this is bordering 4. Sorry about the cliffie- I promise I'll write more next weekend. 

By the way- I get to go on a fake little happy bonding trip to Yosemite with all my classmates. Yeah, it could be fun, but not with all my preppy classmates. They make me sick – "OMG there might be dirt there!!!!" Not really, but that's how my friends and I make fun of them. Hah. Anyways, review so I'll feel all warm and fuzzy when I see all those reviews when I get back!!! That was repetitive, wasn't it?? Ah well. 

**REVIEW!!!!!**

Heehee. Anyways, see ya' later. 

~ladyknight


	4. Tears

Sigh. Here I am. The class trip was fun, but all the preps were all oggling over the boys the whole time. God. All the boys I know happen to be idiots. Anyways, thanks to the reviewers!!

Ice-Otter – Thanx!!! *beams*

Clarylissa – I'm not totally sure about the name and stuff…I'll check later, though.  

Keita – You'll see what happens in this chapter. No problem about not reviewing sooner!! 

A.M. – This is in Roald's reign- sorry if that was confusing. Some of the old characters will be in it- not too many, though. Kel and some others will make more appearances. 

Kayli – Yes, it is cruel. Sorry, but I'm glad you liked it!!!

6-a-opal – Well, I wasn't exactly planning that, you see. The story doesn't end that way, even if it seems like it does. And I'm trying to make each of their experiences different, while the same sort of thing is happening. It's hard, but I can try.  

Anyways, on with the story!!! Wait, disclaimer!!

Disclaimer: Hmmm….Everything belongs to TP, except for Tallys, Nerina, Kalea and their families, who belong to Keita and myself. 

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Nerina had been in the wood shed for a long time. She knew that after danger goes away, you stay in hiding even longer to insure nothing is there to hurt you. It had been around half an hour since the hoof beats and screams had died down. 

Nerina carefully opened the door of the shed to a deserted forest. Hoof prints littered the ground. 

She slowly picked her way to her house, dreading the sight that awaited her. As she approached the door, she stopped. 

A tear rolled down her face. She knew what was inside. She had heard enough. Tears streamed down her face as she ran. Faster and faster she went, until she got to her river. The Drell. 

As soon as she reached the banks, she threw herself in. Her clothes dragging against her body, she just let herself go, and cried. 

The soft water currents carried her downstream as her salty tears blended with the clear river water.

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Tallys woke again, feeling hotter than she had ever felt in her life. She panted heavily as memories flooded back into her head. 

Her family. 

She burst out of the closet, green-brown eyes wide with a fire never seen before in her soft face. Then she stopped. Disaster had rocked this house. Clothes, kitchen utensils, furniture, wood carvings, food, scrolls, candles and more were scattered all over the floor. All was drenched in a red liquid. 

Blood. 

Tallys let out a mighty scream as she ran to her motionless mother. "Mama!!! Mama!!! Wake up!!! No, please, wake up, I'll never be bad again!!" Her mother just lay there, eyes closed, skin pale. 

"No," Tallys whispered, rocking back and forth. "No, no, no…" Then she saw her father. And brother. And sister. All dead. 

Tallys let out a bloodcurdling scream. "NO!!!!!" She ran out the door.

Soon she came to her favorite tree- Ayla, and old oak. Tallys threw herself at the tree, slamming into it, still whimpering, "No, no, no…"

_Shhhh, my little girl_, the tree soothed. _Everything will be fine._

_No it won't, _Tallys sobbed back._ Nothing will ever be the same. _

_Shhhh, _said the old oak again._ Now you must go to __Forest__Town__, the nearest town to here. Your destiny awaits you there.  _

Tallys knew better than to argue with trees. They were wise, wise beyond reason. She gave Ayla one last hug- not knowing it was her last for a while- and set off towards Forest Town. 

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Kalea slowly stood up- stiff after all the time spent crouching in the well. She had managed to assure herself her family wasn't dead- that they were probably looking for her now. Almost. She wasn't sure that she believed herself. Half of her said she was wrong, but the other half believed in itself. 

Kalea slowly made the precarious climb up the wall. Her two sides argued the whole way up. She tried to ignore the one that said she was wrong, but it was all she could do from just screaming to herself that it was wrong. It had to be wrong.   

As Kalea reached the top, she faced her camp. _It wasn't looking good so far, the evil side told her. _They all should be looking for you or celebrating._ _

Not even Kalea's side that thought they survived could find a comeback. Kalea took a big gulp of air. She smelled the sick scent of new blood. 

Kalea started to walk through the camp, looking at the dead bodies littering it. She didn't even notice the tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked at the horrific sights- her dead tribe shaman, her brothers, her sisters, her best friend, and even her mother. 

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled close to the fire. She sank down to her knees beside it. 

Beats rolled across the sand. Hoof beats. 

More tears rolled down Kalea's face. She didn't care. If it were the killers, back again, let them kill her. She didn't care. They had killed her family. Her friends. Her tribe. Now let them kill her.  

To her sudden surprise, someone dismounted, and, instead of killing her picked her up. Kalea's bright long orange hair swung across her face, but she didn't care. Let them take her where they would take her. Let them go. They were all dead. 

Her family, her friends, her tribe. All dead. And her world was too. 

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I'm hoping I made that sad enough. It definitely wasn't LONG enough. Ah well- tell me how I did. Or just if you like the story or something.

Love and insanity,

~ladyknight  


	5. Ride

Well, here I am. I'm gonna be quick, just get to the fic. 

Reviewers rock my world. Monkeys too.  

Keita- Thanks!!

6-a-opal- Well, they do meet in the next chapter, but after that they have an adventure together too. And like I said earlier- Kalea's a "mixed" Bazhir. Half Bazhir, half Tortallian. Check chapter 2. 

Ana- Was that good or bad??

Lady Katherine Heartspark- *bashes head on computer* Sorry!!! I hate it when people get my name wrong, especially since my real name is a bit confusing. And for the beta- my sister betaed (??) my last fic, but she quit on this one. If there's anyone reading this, and who wants to beta, please contact me. Thanks for the suggestion. 

Like I said above, if anyone wants to beta this fic for me, I would love it. Thanks. 

No disclaimer today, since I'm feeling lazy. Sorry.

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Kalea half remembered crying herself to sleep on the horse's back, with an arm slung around her waist to keep her up. She was now awake, but was no longer on any horse's back. 

She bolted up, eyes wide and taking in the scene around her. She was definitely in a wagon, judging from the rocking and shape of the space around her. Another thing she noticed immediately was that she was surrounded by bodies. Filling up the small space in the wagon were about 15 children, all around the ages of 5-15, excluding a small baby held by a girl of 13 or so. Some of the children looked at her tiredly, then closed their eyes again. Kalea looked around again, then noticed a red-haired man sitting on a stool in a corner. He smiled slightly, put a finger over his lips, motioning to the piles of sleeping children. 

Where am I? Kalea mouthed. 

Later, he mouthed back. He flapped a hand at her, obviously meaning to settle down and sleep. 

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Tallys had made it to the town by midday. The attack had been at night, then she had woken in the morning. Tear marks stained her face. She looked exhausted. 

As soon as she reached the village, she ignored the stares she drew, and broke for her Aunt's house. When she reached it, she pounded twice on the oak door. 

"Come in," said the cracked voice of Auntie. Tallys wasn't related to her, but everyone in the small village of Forest Town called her Aunt.  

Tallys burst in. "Auntie!!"

Aunt's worn down face crinkled merrily when she saw Tallys. Then her tattered eyebrows pulled together in a frown as she saw the tears. "What's wrong, dearest??" She pulled off a few old shawls to let Tallys into her lap. 

"They're gone. All of them. Dead," she sobbed into Aunt's shoulder. 

"Your family?"

Tallys slowly nodded. 

"Oh dear….It's the rebels that were passing through yesterday…"

Tallys just sniffed.

Auntie slowly stood up and eased Tallys to another comfy chair. "I'll be back soon."

And with that, she walked slowly out the door, her old body bent from the effort. 

Tallys buried her head under a pillow and cried. 

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Nerina was found by two fishermen on the banks of the deadly river Drell the early the next morning. 

"Whut shou' we do wi' 'er?" asked one to the other. 

"Duh, block 'ead!!"

"Well, wha'?"

"Th' rich ol' merchant family, up th' rivah. They whas killed, an' their likkle girl, she's'a missin'. This is 'er."

"Oi, you're a smar' one. So whaddah we do whi' 'er?"

"Doy, idiut. We bring'er to the town, they's taken a buncha refugee childs to tha' camp up north."

"Loike I says, you's a smar' one."

(A/N- my spell checker went nuts on this section…)

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Tallys sat on her horse, called Paulette by the knight riding on "Georgette" beside her. Ugh. Calling a horse Paulette, let alone Georgette, was cruelty to animals ….

The man, recruited by a more-than-stern Auntie, was taking her to a so called "refugee camp" a day's ride southeast of Forest Town. 

A tear rolled down Tallys' face. Was that what she was? A refugee?

The knight looked over. He was not a particularly smart man, having gotten hit several times on the head while training for knighthood. Even in that case, the knight had enough since to not ask Tallys about her family. 

"So, what's your favorite kind of food?"

Tallys winced. This was going to be a long ride. 

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Kalea was woken by the red haired man from earlier at somewhere around twilight. 

"Everyone awake!! We'll make camp here!!"

 Kalea rolled out of the wagon, like all the other children. As the red haired man go out, she noticed that 2 other men were there- all wore the badges of knights. Kalea's eyes widened. These were real knights. 

"All right, kids to the side, men set up camp. Merric, take kid duty again, Owen, you're cooking, and I'll set up the tents," one of the knights said.

As the children settled down on the dirt to one side of the small clearing, Kalea strode up the sulking Merric. 

"Where are we, who are you, who are _they, and where are we going?" Kalea demanded. _

The tall knight gave her a mock grin. "We're just south of the Great Road East, I'm Merric of Hollyrose, 'they' are other refugee children, unless you are talking about my less than considerate knight buddies over there, Owen of Jesslaw and Faleron of King's Reach."

"And WHERE the hell are we going?" 

"Duh. The refugee camp."

Kalea gritted her teeth. No one said 'duh' to Kalea of the Bloody Hawk. She thought about dealing Sir Merric of Hollyrose a kick in the you-know-where, but then just turned around to sit down. 

"I'll get him later."

The rest of the evening was less than enjoyable, except for Owen, a very funny man who did his best to keep the children in order with his comical clumsiness. The dinner was all right, Kalea's part wasn't burned, which was more than half the others could say. The tent was crowded, and in the morning everyone piled back in the wagon, and, to Kalea's horrible dislike, headed north.

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There you are. Next chappie up next weekend or the one after that. Maybe with more reviews, it'll be up next weekend…In other words, please review. 

:0)

~ladyknight


	6. Refugees

Okay, sorry about taking so long with this chappie. Hopefully it'll be longer. Don't keel me!!

Ana- Yeah… A….Lot?? *ducks flying objects*

6-a-opal- *beams*

Keita- Don't we all love him… Anyways, more Owen in this chapter!!

Pineapple- *winces* Is it really confusing?? Thanks for the review, and I'll indicate whose POV it is now.

Kayli- (wow another) *wince* Sorry 'bout not updating sooner then. Longer chapter now, though!!

Ali- (yet another!!) *wince* Sorry… I'm going to start indicating the POV now. Thanks for the review!!

Shayley Rain- Yup… Don't be too mad at me, now….

Sarai Ice-Elf- Thanks for pointing that out, it's true. I'm just going to make up an excuse and say he's changed (since this is like 15-20 years after Lady Knight).

Ack…. Many reviews, no updates…. *ducks flying objects* Sorry!!!

Disclaimer: Now, why would I be putting this under fan fiction if I had made it up??

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Nerina's POV [point of view]

_Nerina was dreaming. She knew she was, though she didn't know at all why. _

_She stood in a dark, musty room in a wide circle with two other young girls her age. One was a wild looking tanned girl with fiery red hair. She sparkled with a dazzling red-orange fire. _

_The other girl was also tanned, tall, with cropped chestnut hair. A dark green blaze radiated from her thin body. _

_Nerina noticed a crate in the middle of their circle, with bright purple and gold lights sparkling off something on top of it. Before she could get a closer look, the other girl's eyes burst open, throwing out a shine Nerina had never seen before. The red girl's eyes were flecked with autumn colors, reds, oranges, yellows, tans and browns. The green girl's eyes sparkled with greens and browns. _

Then Nerina woke up.

She found herself bolting from a comfortably bouncy cot into the face of a startled healer. His fingers had been forced off her temples as she had risen moments before. 

"I'm sorry!" said the healer hurriedly. "Did I- did I do it too fast, Sir Nealan??"

A tall man with deep green eyes peered at Nerina. "No, no, that was fine, Ossi. Are you all right, dearest??"

Nerina blinked. "Wh- where am I? Who are you? What-"

"You are in the hospital wing at Prosper, the refugee camp, and I am Duke Nealan of Queenscove, Knight and Healer, at your service." Nerina could have sworn she had seen a tear glisten in his eye at the name of the refugee camp. 

"But why- I mean- Your grace, why am I at the refugee camp? Where is my family, and when did we-"

She broke off as the Duke looked carefully at the other healer, then at Nerina. "My dear, I don't know how exactly to break this to you, but I tell you with my deepest regrets."

Then the memories flooded back. Her mind said it with him. 

"Your family is dead."

Nerina sank back into her pillows. _No, no, no, no, no, no… Then it tore out of her mouth as she spun to fall into her pillow. _

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

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Tally's POV

Tallys had utterly given up on her knight. 

She had started ignoring him after less than ten minutes of mindlessly stupid questions. To pass the time she had just been observing the scenery. When they had actually stopped for the night, she has actually managed to find a tree to talk to. While riding, there was never enough time to have a good conversation before they passed on. 

Even as Tallys rode past the seemingly never ending forests, she noticed how much of it seemed this and dead. 

_Dead, yeah_, she thought._ Just like Mama and Papa and Fletcher and Wren. As Tallys said her family's names a lump grew in her throat. _Dead.___ I'll never see them or hug them again. A tear dripped off her chin. _

She sniffed, swallowing her lump and brushing the tears away as a new feeling washed over her. _Would they want me to be sad? Mourning forever? No._ She pressed her lips together_. I'll be as happy as I can, and cheerful too. Mithros hold me to it. _

And she closed her eyes to stem the flow of tears, and willed herself to keep back and forget her sadness. 

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Kalea's POV

Kalea was bored. Bored, bored, bored. To make it worse, her stomach felt like it contained a few daggers; the pain making her even crabbier.

All the other children were either asleep or talking in small groups. One group was stealing glances at Kalea's slumped form as a thin blonde whispered to them. Kalea distinctly heard the phase "sand scum," a bad name for Bazhir tribesman.

A sharp pain ran through her stomach. Ignoring it, Kalea coolly propped a fist on her bent knee. Most of the girls had the decency to turn their backs, but the blonde just raised an eyebrow. 

Kalea made a rude gesture. Several of the girls gasped, but the blonde smiled slyly. 

Ooh, stomach.   

Kalea crossed her arms, leaned back, and let her eyes rest on the girl. _Ack_, she thought. If my stomach calms down, maybe later I'll teach Blondie here a lesson on manners. 

Suddenly the wagon came to an abrupt stop. A sharp knock came from next to one of the girls who was staring at Kalea. She jumped as Merric's voice called, "Owen, you'd better come see this."

Kalea's stomach took a violent twist. 

Owen's sleeping form started. "What? What was that?" Several children giggled. 

"Owen, get out here," Merric said impatiently. 

Something jabbed Kalea from inside her midriff. _Not real, something in her mind said. __Set…Set…Not real…Beware… _

Owen made his way through the children as they sought to peek out of the wagon. 

"I'll be right back," Kalea heard Owen say. The pain in her stomach and the whispering in her head was awful.

A short time later Kalea heard Owen say, "Okay, kiddies, we've got a slight problem ahead, but no fear. We'll be backtracking and looping-" He was cut off be Faleron's cry.

"Oh gods, Merric, behind us, it's the rebels Kel warned us about…"

"It was set!!" cried Merric, in panic. "They set the fire up ahead so we'd be trapped…"

"Kids, stay in the wagon!!" Faleron shouted. "Owen, take my right, Merric, my left, arrows on three!!"

Kalea's stomach was feeling better in the slightest, but her head still pounded with whispers._ Set….Set by them….Set…Put out….Set….Put us out…..Not right... SET!! _

Out the back of the wagon she could see dead bodies cut down. 

_Set…Not right…_

And then she slumped down, deep in a faint. 

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Nerina's POV

Nerina entered the empty dining hall, surveying it with puffy red eyes.  It was huge, with ten long wooden tables stretching the length of the room. In the back was a serving line to pick food up. In the front was a small stage with a podium and another table. _Probably for the officers, _Nerina reasoned. 

She took a seat at the head of one of the mighty tables. _They're dead, she thought bleakly, closing her eyes. That's why I'm here. I'm an orphan, a refugee. _

"Hello," said a female voice. Nerina's eyes opened and her head lifted to gaze into a pair of bright hazel eyes. 

"Hi," Nerina said emotionlessly. 

"Don't like it here?" asked the woman sympathetically. 

Nerina looked her over. She was middle aged- maybe in her thirties or forties- and pretty. Her light brown hair hung down to her shoulders, her face was bright and clear, and her high cheekbones lightly flushed from exercise. 

"No," Nerina said simply. "I just miss my – my parents." Her voice cracked on the last word. 

The woman blinked, then smiled sadly. "Me too," she whispered, surprising Nerina. 

"What, you miss your home, or your parents?"

The woman's eyes glittered with tears as she cracked a small smile. "Both. My home is nowhere near here. My parents, two of my brothers and five of my nieces and nephews died when their ship from the Yamani Islands sunk last month." She wiped a tear away.

Nerina was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"S'not your fault."

Nerina suddenly remembered she didn't know the woman's name. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

The woman laughed. "I didn't give it to you." She stuck out a hand. "Keladry of Mindelan and Masbolle. Call me Kel. And you?"

Nerina grasped Kel's hand. "Nerina Salistag."

"Well, Nerina Salistag, I'll see you soon." She stood up.

Then Nerina noticed the people flooding into the hall. "Bye," she said, before going to get her food. 

As she sat back down again she noticed that people were not eating, but staring expectantly up at the officer's table, which was full. 

Then, to Nerina's surprise, Kel stood up from the higher table and walked to the podium. There was an applause from the refugees as Kel smiled down on them. 

"I hope you all don't mind if I say a few things before you dig in," she said. A few ragged cheers rose. Her grin widened. "First, I'd like to say welcome to the newcomers to Prosper. This camp is named after a brave knight who died only weeks ago." A silence drifted over the large room. "Anyways, everyone over fifteen or so will be required to help out here. Schedule is posted outside. Any arguments or disputes go to your barrack representatives. Voting for them takes place every week. Everyone also will learn how to fight- training sessions for bows, spears, and slings take place everyday. We're not so well supplied with soldiers. 

"We can all thank the gods and the King's Own that this place was built early enough that it was finished before the big rebel and bandit groups came through. The walls and buildings are finished. We're ready for attacks. 

"Don't think just because I'm a girl I haven't seen combat or refugee camps. I've been a knight for fifteen years, and have commanded three other refugee camps in my lifetime. Now I'll let you start eating- you all are probably starving. Dig in!!"

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Tallys' POV

Tallys arrived less than halfway through the midday meal at Prosper. As she entered the fort she saw two thick wood walls with sentries spaced along them. Behind the walls were assortments of buildings. Various people ran or walked through, but most of the people were in a big hall, or so said the noise. She followed her knight into the room. As she entered she was struck by the amount of people in there. No, not by that, but by the cheerfulness radiating from the refugees. Most looked gaunt and badly clothed, but had smiles on. She was lead along to a platform in the front of the room, to her right. 

As her knight talked with a few others, she observed the packed room. So much happiness._ I'll be like that, she told herself. __Content as can be. _

"Hello," said a voice. Tallys looked up into the smiling face of a middle-aged woman. 

"Hello," Tallys said, grinning back. "I'm Tallys."

"Call me Kel," the woman said. Tallys noticed a knight's badge on her chest. _Wow. One of the five Tortallian female knights…_"Go eat," said Kel. "You must be starving after such a ride!!"

Tallys nodded in agreement, and ran off to find her food. 

After picking up a filling looking bowl of soup and a piece of apple pie, Tallys noticed a sad looking girl with a sheet of black hair. She walked over and sat down across from the girl. 

"Hi, I'm Tallys," said Tallys. 

"Nerina," grunted the girl. 

Tallys noticed bruises on the Nerina's arms, and one on her temple that spread into her hair. "What happened to you?"

Nerina sighed. "I slipped." _Partially true, Nerina thought. _I slipped down the river._ _

_Partially true_, thought Tallys without even realizing she had thought it. "Where do you come from?"

"East of here. You?"

"North. Where's your family?" Tallys looked around the packed hall.

Nerina looked down. Tallys understood immediately. "Me too," she said quietly. "Rebels?"

Nerina quickly wiped her face, and nodded. 

Tallys smiled bravely. "Well then, we orphans should stick together."

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Kalea's POV

Before Kalea even woke up, she heard the girls whispering and giggling. As her vision blurred and the buzzing in her head died she moaned and sat up. The girls moved back a little but couldn't manage to keep back their peals of laughter.

Kalea rubbed her head. "What? Where –"

As the blond leader raised her eyebrows and smirked, Kalea remembered. She looked around to see the wagon's inside. They were moving. 

"You _fainted_," smirked the blond. 

"Did not," Kalea growled instinctively. She couldn't have fainted… Or did she?

The girls fell over laughing. 

"Yes you did, sand scum. Don't argue with your betters."

That was it. Kalea was tired. Tired of this girl, her friends, her rudeness…

Her fist connected with Blondie's nose. Blood poured as the girl threw herself, shrieking, at Kalea. Kalea liked fighting; it was one thing she did enough to be good at it. 

Soon hands pulled and pushed her and the blond apart. Kalea fought them. 

Boy, am I gonna be in trouble, she thought, gamely punching, kicking and screaming war cries like a true Bazhir. 

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Nerina's POV

After dinner Nerina wondered where she would sleep. She asked around, and found out that the refugees slept in barracks. She would be with the newcomers in Barrack Three. She found where that was and entered the large building. It was grim looking, with too many beds in too small a space. They were spread in close rows horizontally, with a clear area at the opposite end of where Nerina stood. Bad smelling privies were spaced outside the building. 

Nerina picked out a lone bed in the corner. Plunking herself down, she faced the wall. _Stuck in a rotten rat hole like this_, she thought. 

"Hey," said a familiar voice. Nerina groaned inwardly. _I never asked for pesky friends, she reminded the gods. _Never asked for any of this to happen to me._ _

"I'll sleep here." A body hit the bed next to her. 

_Ho boy_.  

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EndEnd. Yes, longer. *sigh*. I also am on vaycay till the end of August. Then back to school and applications for high school. :-P I probably won't update for a few months. Sorry!!

 Till later, 

-ladyknight


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